Miller (Champion) 6 Lever Pancake Padlock

mercurial

Pictured below is an example of what is commonly called a “pancake padlock”. Whilst the lock case says Millers, close examination of the key will also show the brand name Champion - I believe they made these locks under several names/case patterns.

Some pancake padlocks operate with a warded key, however this example uses levers as the name suggests, in this case six of them, and a push-key.

Once the correct key is pushed all the way into the keyway, the shackle springs open.

I am not certain, but I believe these were made over a considerable period of time. Would anybody be able to suggest an approximate age for this lock?

…mercurial

mercurial

I am now confused as to whether Champion made “Miller’s” and several other pancake locks, or if Miller’s was the manufacturer. The key says both “Champion 6 Lever Pat 3.11-02” and “MILLER Lock Co. PHILA. U.S.”

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

You are correct, these locks were sold under many names and they were made by many different companies. There are different numbers of levers in some and a few even have a different shape. To my knowledge Miller never mixed the brands and consequently your key was originally supplied with a lock that bore the Champion name even though made by Miller.

A lock similar to yours sold on Ebay in 1999 for $67.25US. The Miller Lock Co existed from 1870 to 1932 when it was purchased by Yale. Based upon the patent date you noted the lock must have been made in the 30 year span from 1902 to 1932.
BBE.

mercurial

In case it is not clear in the pictures, around the curve of the key’s bow is the lettering “MILLER LOCK CO.PHILA.USA”, below that, on the ‘stem’ is “Champion 6 LEVER PAT.3.11-02” and then underneath that, just to confuse matters, is a little Miller logo - the name Miller appearing on a Scroll. On the reverse of the key is stamped B 79.

The lock only bears the name Miller’s.

As can be seen in the pictures, the lock is also stamped B79 - so it would appear the lock and key have been together since they were made, or at least for a long time, the stamping isn’t new.

I don’t claim to know about the history of these locks, but given the above, would you still say the key I have did not originally belong to this lock?

…mercurial

mercurial

Here is detail of the key’s bow :

mercurial

Here is a patent by Miller that shows the internals of this style of lock (US Patent number 143990) :

http://www.google.com/patents?id=V2NUAAAAEBAJ&printsec=description&zoom=4#v=onepage&q=&f=false

EDIT : This is NOT quite the same style of lock - this lock has two sets of levers, however the mechanism is still very similar. I’ve never seen an example of the lock described in the patent.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

I’ve never seen this marking before. Typically they will be marked with one or the other name. It is entirely possible that your lock was made at the beginning of the patent issue before they had the idea to cast the name Champion into the lock face.

Because your hasn’t been taken apart and the special markings on the key, I would guess they are a matched set and certainly worth more than the one sold in 1999.
BBE.

mercurial

BBE, thankyou very much for your informative input!

I would never have known that the key’s markings are unusual.

Courtesy of BBE’s website, there is a picture of the internals of a typical pancake lock below.

…mercurial

Peterorlick

I have had the Champion Padlock version of this pancake padlock for some 41 years already. I’ve had it x-rayed in hopes of being able to open it and as you can see by the picture, the lock is complete with the latches, but non the less, where to get a key ?

champion-6-lever-brass-padlock.pdf

297kB

oldbiscuit

Most locksmiths can get the key blanks for that lock.However getting a locksmith to pick it open and impression a key and then cutting that impression on the blank will get pretty expensive. Most of us have done it numerous times for our own locks,but then we don’t charge ourselves for our own labor. The Champion 6 lever lock is probably the most abundent thus the least valuable of the push key pancake locks out there, so unless it holds some sentimental value to you,I wouldn’t think it would be worth the money spent. Now on the other hand if that lock was a IHC,IRS or any other of the rarer push key pancake locks,I wouldn’t hesitate to advise you to have the job done. Mark🙁doh):

Peterorlick

“Now on the other hand if that lock was a IHC,IRS or any other of the rarer push key pancake locks” Ok, so how am I suppose to know if this lock falls in these categories ???? have another lock, that might be of intrest, next post

Peterorlick

I know this thread is for Miller locks but your talking to me so I’ll post here, always nice when somebody is actually there. Not looking for value, just if it’s interesting. On one side it has a ‘W’ and a Half Round above it in it’s logo and the other it states “Made in Germany” and the Key states “SYSTEM HUS”

Dean Nickel

If you have questions on any lock we have several persons that KNOW the history of several companies in the last 100 years and that is where it starts to fall down. For every 100 years we go back we lose a bit of the history that we know about locks. As soon as you get to say 300 years in age we know some of the history but not all. Post a picture of the lock from several angles and ask. If we can help we will.

I agree that making a key for an older lock by non destructive means is going to cost some money. But that is what you pay for is the experience to do the job without harming the lock. Do make sure that you say to not drill or harm the lock. Do find a locksmith that has a track record for older locks. ALOA members might not be a bad idea as they are tested but they are not the end all of locksmiths either. Of course it helps if you have the tools for the pancake locks to start with. I do and I would believe that other locksmiths out there do too.

As for the German lock I can’t help with that. We will have to wait until someone with more info on that comes on.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Peterorlick;5759 Ok, so how am I suppose to know if this lock falls in these categories ???? have another lock, that might be of intrest, next post[/QUOTE wrote
The push key lever locks are typically marked with a brand or a trade name. There were also models that were made for specific end users and had the logo or a special marking cast into the face of the lock. You can find many examples of that type of lock at the link.
BBE.

push lever

Peterorlick

there are absolutely no other visible markings on this lock unless the might be on the locking mechanism itself, say when it’s open ? Sorry about my other message, guess I might have come over a bit snarky, didn’t mean to be. Good link, thanks, OMG, so many locks that almost all look alike, I didn’t see a Champion 6-Lever one though, I’ll try attaching the figure, first time I sent a PDF, should have just sent a JPG.

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

mercurial wrote
Here is a patent by Miller that shows the internals of this style of lock (US Patent number 143990) :

The original patent for the standard push key 6 lever we normally encounter is 105.710.
BBE.

———- Post added at 08:23 PM ———- Previous post was at 08:15 PM ———-

Peterorlick wrote
Good link, thanks, OMG, so many locks that almost all look alike, I didn’t see a Champion 6-Lever one though, …….

Yes, I was remiss in that. I used to buy all the Champions that showed up on Ebay, mostly because they were selling for $4 or less. I have around 22 of them that I have been going to make into a cut-away version like the one in the above picture. Consequently I forgot to post one not made into a cut-away. I’ll find the next one that sells and post it on my site.

Yours is actually in very good condition and might sell for quite a bit more than $4. Maybe as high as $25 if you get a key.
BBE.

[unknown] [unknown]

Peterorlick

I want to repost the post I had put up about the German lock I have, where to repost it ????

oldbiscuit

Your in the right area,you can post it either here or in “other padlocks”. The main thing you should have done was start a new thread rather than add to an existing thread.🙁nod):

Billy B Edwards Jr. CML

Here is a Champion lock item of interest. Of course it isn’t really a lock, just a replica, but still cool.
BBE.

Bookmark-Lock Champion 6 Lever - COPY-A Must See!! - eBay (item 360242225970 end time Dec-04-10 23:15:56 PST)

Rick Fox

How can you differentiate this as a replica from an origonal?